GOLDEN SUNS CONCLUDE HISTORICAL 2008 SEASON WITH LOSS IN GSC TOURNAMENT CHAMPIONSHIP GAME TO ALABAMA-HUNTSVILLE

        SOUTHAVEN, Mississippi – Arkansas Tech Softball concluded its historical season here Sunday as the Golden Suns fell 8-0 to top-ranked Alabama-Huntsville in the championship game of the 2008 Gulf South Conference Tournament at the Greenbrook Softball Complex.

Tech, who would’ve had to defeat UAH twice on Sunday to win the tournament title and earn the league’s automatic bid to the NCAA D-II South Regional next week in Miami Shores, Fla., advanced to Sunday’s title game with its 4-3 win over North Alabama in an elimination game.

With the loss, Tech completes its season with a 41-17 record and finished the GSC Tournament with a 3-2 mark. The 41 wins is a new single-season record for the Golden Suns and marks a 24-game improvement from last season as the Golden Suns finished with a 12-35 mark in 2007.

“I’m so proud of this group of players on this season’s team and I’m also happy for our seniors,” Golden Suns Head Coach Gidget Pambianchi said on the postgame radio show. “Our seniors stepped us this season and helped build a foundation.”

Sunday’s game was the final game for Tech’s three seniors – pitcher Dana Aldrich (Palm Harbor, Fla.), leftfielder Terra Brenner (Belleville, Ill.) and shortstop Molly Schweigert (Salem, Ore.), who became just the sixth four-year player in the program’s history.

Schweigert leaves Tech as the school’s all-time record holder in career at-bats (610), hits (202), runs scored (102), doubles (37), triples (14), total bases (276), walks (51) and games played (193), while Aldrich leaves holding nearly every pitching record as she is the school’s all-time leader in appearances (74), starts (53), wins (32), strikeouts (269), innings pitched (356.0), complete games (30) and finished tied in career shutouts (7) and career saves (5) and Brenner leaves 10th in career runs scored (38), 12th in career RBIs (27), fifth in career stolen bases (21) and eighth in career games played (105).

Pambianchi, who was named the GSC West Division Coach of the Year on Wednesday, said that her team was worn out by the time it reached Sunday’s championship round game against UAH.

“We were worn down, especially our pitchers. We threw only two pitchers and they gutted it out this weekend, but they just ran out of gas against a very good UAH team,” the third-year Tech coach added. “I think they are two of the better pitchers in the league behind UAH’s trio of pitchers.”

UAH, who won its third consecutive and eighth GSC Championship all-time and was the only undefeated team at this season’s tournament, opened the scoring in the third inning as the Lady Chargers (50-7 overall on the season)took advantage on an error and a two-run single by Krystal Johnson off of Aldrich to push out to a 2-0 lead.

Beth Lawson put UAH ahead 3-0 in the fourth inning with a lead-off home run off of Aldrich. Following the homer, UAH loaded the bases with two outs, before sophomore Casey Hammons (Carthage, Texas), who relieved Aldrich, forced Marilyn Cooper to ground out to end the inning.

Schweigert, who was one of Tech’s three representatives on the GSC All-Tournament team, broke up Sage Woodham’s bid for a perfect game as she delivered a two-out single to right center. Prior to Schweigert’s hit, Woodham had retired the first 11 Golden Sun hitters in order.

In the fourth inning, Kaitlin Lee drove in the fourth UAH run on her double to right center that allowed pinch runner Alicia Caudle to score. Caudle was running for Lawson, who walked with two outs.

UAH put the game out of reach in the sixth inning as Johnson, who was named the GSC Tournament’s Most Outstanding Player, hit a grand slam over the left field fence off of Hammons to push out to an 8-0 lead.

That eight-run lead would be enough for Woodham as she tossed a complete-game two-hit shutout to improve to 21-4 on the season. In six innings of work, Woodham, who was one of four UAH players named to the All-Tournament Team, struck out six Golden Suns and walked none.

In addition to Schweigert, Woodham and Johnson, other members of the All-Tournament team were Aldrich and Tech freshman first baseman Tiphani Moon (Euless, Texas), along with Lee and Lawson from UAH, Valdosta State’s Alex Acosta and North Alabama’s Jennifer Sharp.

          In addition to Schweigert, the only other Golden Suns to reach base was sophomore third baseman Taylor Gates (Paris, Texas), who reached on a single in the bottom of the sixth inning.

          Aldrich, who ended the season with a 26-10 record, tossed 3.2 innings and allowed six hits and one earned run, while walking one and striking out four. Hammons pitched 2.1 innings and allowed five hits and five runs, while walking two and striking out one.

          Lawson led UAH with three hits, while Johnson and Lee added two hits in the win. Johnson drove in six of UAH’s runs and Megan Blanchard scored two runs.

Tech-UAH Box Score            
         
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